This invention relates generally to sensors, and more specifically to methods and apparatus for evaluating sensors and/or for controlling an apparatus that includes a sensor.
Wind energy is sometimes used to generate electrical power using a wind turbine, wherein an electrical generator is driven by the rotation of a rotor that converts the wind energy into rotational energy. A plurality of wind turbines are sometimes grouped together at power plants, often referred to as wind farms or wind parks. Each wind turbine within a wind farm sometimes includes sensors that measure various parameters relating to operation of the wind turbine. For example, at least some known wind turbines include one or more sensors for measuring an ambient temperature, anemometry for measuring wind direction and/or wind speed, one or more sensors for detecting ice within ambient air and/or on components of the wind turbine, one or more sensors for measuring a yaw position of a rotor of the wind turbine, and/or one or more sensors for measuring a pitch angle of one or more rotor blades of the wind turbine. Based on signals received from the sensors, operation of individual wind turbines within the wind farm can be controlled by control systems on-board the individual wind turbines and/or by a centralized control system of the wind farm. Moreover, the centralized control system may control operation of the wind farm as a whole based on signals from the sensors of individual wind turbines. For example, the centralized control system may control a total power output of the wind farm based on signals received from sensors on individual wind turbines. However, the sensors of individual wind turbines within the wind farm may sometimes transmit inaccurate measurements and/or fail.